Blind Alley: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller is a book I found via the online public library, so I went into it not realizing it was part of a series. It made some sense despite that, though; Ms. Johansen made this book stand alone fairly well.Jane and Trevor are interesting characters. I did feel that Jane warmed up to Trevor too easily, but when you remind yourself that the grown-up-seeming Jane is actually still a teenager, it makes enough sense. Jane displays a nice duality: she’s mature enough to sound older than her age, but she’s inexperienced enough that she’s still feeling her way through what is the right thing to do, how does she make that happen, and how far does she have to go? I can see why she and Trevor have a sort-of weird beginnings-of-a-crush going on. Trevor is such an unrepentant pain, blithely lying his way into an investigation, spying on Jane; but he also rushes off to help Jane when it might not be in his best interest to do so.By the time Trevor and Jane come up with an elaborate plan to attract and catch Aldo, the serial killer, Aldo has made it clear to Jane that now he knows who she is and he has all the time in the world to attack her. However, he’s shown himself to have absolutely *no* patience (he killed a handful of additional women when he had difficulty getting to Jane), so I don’t buy that he'll wait.Because of that, the trap Trevor and Jane set seems outlandishly and unnecessarily complex. It involves convincing (or hacking into) a handful of publications to plant false information. It requires flying to another country. It’s an intricate setup that could fall apart in any of a bunch of steps, and I totally fail to see how it’s a better plan than setting up a death trap back home. Because I couldn’t suspend disbelief in this it felt… hollow. It felt like seeing a page on which someone has been writing, but halfway through they switch to writing in a different script and using a green magic marker instead of a blue pen.There are also some bald info-dumps. Some of the dialogue feels… stilted.Ultimately I found the book to be... okay.For a longer review including premise, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2014/10/r...
I am a huge fan of the Eve Duncan series, and I have read just about every book in the series. Granted out of order, but I have read them. What I love about the series is the consistency. The consistency of the characters, the action, suspense and the over all ride. But I am sad to say that I did not find this book very consistent. Oh, it was consistent in the fact that it delivered suspense and an all around decent ride. The thing that had me seething was the inconsistency with the characters. Being a huge fan and all I kind of make it a point to know the main characters, Joe Quinn and Eve Duncan pretty well. You see they are two of my favorite all time characters. Especially Joe. Joe is this kick butt ex-SEAL, ex-FBI agent, now detective who doesn't take crap from anyone and will do anything to protect his family. But in this book he was not portrayed this way. Instead he took a back seat while another man came in and protected his family, sitting idly by while a mad man threatened his family. This is not the Joe I know. And this bugged me to no end. Now I understand that the author was trying to tell the story of one of the secondary characters, and I love the fact that she did. However, I did not like the fact that she changed one of the most essential characters in the series. Now please don't think I am author bashing because I'm not. I love Iris Johansen and the entire Eve Duncan series. But the way this book was written just really grated on my nerves. That aside. I did enjoy the story. Jane is not a character that has been focused on in the series and it was nice to get a glimpse into what made her tick. There was a good story to be told with suspense lurking around every corner. However I did miss the action that is usually found in an Eve Duncan book. I found the action in this book to be slightly disappointing. With their only being two real action scenes.If you have not read many Eve Duncan books then I highly recommend this book. It is a good book to get your feet wet. If however, you have read quite a few of them then I feel I must warn you as it is not the typical Eve Duncan story, as it is really not about her.
What do You think about Blind Alley (2005)?
I liked this book a lot better than previous one as this one actually has Eve involved a little bit as the previous one was all about Sarah and no mention of Eve. I am an Iris Johansen fan though.This story gives the reader more insight to Jane MacGuire, Eve and Joe 17yo adopted daughter. I enjoyed the fact that you got to know more about Jane and how she thinks and acts. She is devoted to Toby, the dog Sarah gave to her and Jane is very independent and stubborn and comes across as more mature t
—Elizabeth Noah Astle
Forensic Sculptor Eve Duncan is shocked to see the face she has reconstructed on a murder victim is the face of her 17-year-old adopted daughter. A serial killer has moved through Europe and the USA, killing women who resemble a statue of a woman killed during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Scotland Yard's Mark Trevor has been sent to help find him. Eve doesn't trust him, but Jane believes he can help find the killer before the killer targets her.I thought the first part of the book was interesting, especially the addition of Mark Trevor. But somewhere in the middle of the story, it lost steam for me. This was more a story of Eve's daughter, Jane, dealing with a serial killer who has specifically targeted her. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
—Robin
I was very entranced with this book. It kept me drug in and was better then the last two Eve Duncan books. I enjoy Iris Johansen and she kept me in this book from early on. I thought when I first started it "oh no another dud" but after a few more pages i was hooked. It deals a lot more with Jane and a new man and a maniac killer... What more could you ask for? I was grossed out by the new man (Trevor) having an interest in Jane, but then I realized that most young women in real life have romanc
—Leann
